Ethan Gao

i make machines, but mostly 3d printers

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@joshu @davidliuxyz See you there

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

i'm ethan, just graduated high school. i build 3d printers and other hardware. this is where i'll be posting it.

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@AJololade Formlabs this summer, then UIUC in the fall

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@DrewyMcDrewface That's actually pretty accurate. I don't even know how exactly a regular slicer works, but this deform-undeform strategy is good because it doesn't need me to. Harder than slicing is probably collision detection as you said. I check it by seeing if the object bends too sharply

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

This 3d printer prototype has five axes. The bed spins and slides, the arm holding the nozzle moves up and down in and out, and tilts. Here, the translational degrees of freedom (XYZ) are held constant while the angular ones are allowed to change, essentially orbiting a point.

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@SorensonCorben I like the handle idea, but it might be hard to create a perfectly flat bed that has a servo actuating the corner

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

I built this portable 3d printer. it folds flat, and a scissor lift lets it expand to print big objects. It's CoreXY, uses fishing line for the motion system, has a direct drive extruder, and the option of storing an 8-hour print time battery or an entire filament spool inside

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@Pinkponyclub777 Started off simple and built experience by just attempting harder projects

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@RealJohnShoe I've gotten a few sponsorships by just presenting the designs in CAD, and using past builds as evidence I can deliver. A lot of companies like PCBWay are willing to cover all the costs if you just reach out with an idea

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

some of my cad from the last two years

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@Eggs_and_Jakey Underrated machine

[Chip Haze @ChipHaze]

This is what my X feed has turned into. Young man had 12 followers this morning. Posted about what he's building and gains interest in it in hours. He now has 1700 followers, job offers and funding if needed. Great job @ga0_lab

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@The_Darwinist52 I just spent a lot of my free time in high school on the projects

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@TheFinalMachina Not sure if I have the skills to sell it effectively, but that would only happen anyway if the design is flawless which I'm far from. Just want to see it being used

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@TheFinalMachina Already there. Nothing is more fun that seeing something work

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@neil_xbt Thanks for the repost!

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@sdfgeoff Could you quickly outline the slicing approach?

[i2cjak @i2cjak]

bro is actually REINDVSTRIALIZING and he's fucking 18 meanwhile you have 35 million gundo LARPERS that can't do HALF of this shit

total zoomer victory, millenial extinctioln

[Damian Player @damianplayer]

Ethan Gai, 18. just graduated high school.

building 3d printers from scratch that can fold flat, run 8 hours on battery, and print things most engineers twice his age couldn’t

insane shit!

[ＤＡＭＩＡＮ 🤖💡🏠 @HyperLogistix]

i'm obsessed with these MIT Maker Portfolios

this is the best one i've ever seen. this is real engineering.

how does he only have 3 followers?

Ethan built:

01. omni-directional wheels / swerve modules

02. a mechanical integrator that does calculus with moving parts

03. a polar plotter that can draw all sorts of wild patterns

04. a modded Ender 3 that he turned into a CoreXY claw machine

05. a cycloidal gearbox

06. a 5-axis 3D printer and slicer inspired by Joshua Bird's 4-axis design

now he's working on a compact, battery-powered, ultra-portable expanding 3D printer

a body of work like this usually takes a full team years

Ethan did it before college

this guy is an absolute machine

if anyone deserves more support, it’s him

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@sendcutsend Sent one three days ago 😊

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@SCH_Clay Thank you!

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@theaaplfreak Have a video about the rigidity up!

[Ethan Gao @ga0_lab]

@AnthonyCastrio Yeah it does, but there are tensioners in the back.